Powerline communication control of light emitting diode (led) lighting fixtures

ABSTRACT

A powerline communication control system for controlling a lighting unit, such as an LED lighting unit, including a master controller for receiving lighting unit control inputs from a lighting controller and generating corresponding lighting unit command outputs in a lighting system command format and transmission mode and superimposing the lighting unit command outputs onto the power distribution system and at least one lighting slave unit for receiving the lighting command signal, separating the lighting command signal from the power signal and for providing lighting unit control commands to the at least one lighting unit to control illumination thereof.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/781,003, filed Feb. 28, 2013, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/336,299, filed Dec. 23, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No.8,410,630, which is a continuation-in-part of International ApplicationNo. PCT/US 11/44159, which designated the United States, and was filedon Jul. 15, 2011, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/365,026, filed on Jul. 16, 2010. The entire teachingsof the above applications are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is related to the powerline communication controlof electrical devices and, in particular, to the powerline communicationcontrol of lighting fixtures.

BACKGROUND

Powerline communication systems, often called powerline carriercommunication system, are method for enabling systems to carry data on aconductor that is also used for electric power transmission, such as aconventional 117 volt AC line, a 230 volt AC line (such as used inEurope), a 100 volt AC line (such as used in Japan), a 277 volt AC line(such as used in certain commercial applications in the United States)or a 347 volt AC line (such as used in certain commercial applicationsin the Canada). There are many different ways to communicate on apowerline, but ultimately all communication is done by impressing amodulated carrier signal onto the system power conductors together withthe 117 volt AC power signal and separating the power signal and thecommunications signals at a receiving point. While powerlinecommunication applications are commonly seen in the utility meterreading and home automation markets, for example, for a number ofreasons they are essentially nonexistent in architectural solid statelighting systems.

Among the problems that are hindering the adoption of solid statelighting systems, that is, light emitting diode (LED) lighting systems,and especially white light lighting systems, is the question of controlof the light level output of LED lighting systems, that is, dimmingcontrol, which is much more complex than in the case of conventionallighting systems because of the greater electrical complexity of the LEDlighting fixtures. For example, two of the common industry standardmethods for dimming control of lighting systems are 0-10V dimmers andthe Digital Array Lighting Interface (DALI), both of which providedigital control of the power output of lighting systems. Both of thesemethods are effective, but require the provision of control wiringseparate from the conventional AC power lines. The addition of 0-10Vdimmers or DALI to a lighting installation thus generally requires theretrofitting of any proposed installation site with the necessarycontrol wiring, which typically requires ripping out existing wiring andthe addition of new control wiring. The addition of convention dimmingcontrols, such as 0-10V dimmers or DALI to a lighting installationthereby often imposes significant additional costs as well as additionaltime to accomplish the installation of the control wiring and controls.

There are existing dimming technologies used for traditional lightingsources which do not require extra communication wires. While there aremany, two of the most popular are TRIAC (triode for alternating current)dimmer and Electronic Low Voltage (ELV) dimming. Both “phase chop” theAC signal, making less AC power available for the traditional lightsources, hence causing the traditional light sources to provide lesslight output. These dimming technologies have been adapted to solidstate lighting fixtures, however, since they are analog in nature, theyare not an ideal solution due to the strictly digital nature of LEDs.There are two distinct disadvantages to incorporating TRIAC or ELV onthe LED fixture. For example, there is an added cost associated withadding analog circuitry in order to transmit TRIAC or ELV dimmingsignals over a power line and to convert the analog signals to digitalsignals suitable for controlling LED fixtures. In addition, the additionof such specific purpose circuitry commits the LED fixture manufacturerto one technology, thus limiting the ability of the manufacturer toadapt to other dimming technologies that may be required in differentapplications and installations.

The present invention provides a solution to the above noted as well asother related problems associated with the prior art.

SUMMARY

The present invention is directed to a powerline communication controlsystem for controlling a light emitting diode (LED) lighting unitcomprised of one or more white or red, green and blue LEDs, orcombinations thereof, and the associated circuitry for controlling thelight outputs of the LEDs of the fixture.

A powerline communication control unit of the present invention includesa master controller that includes a lighting control command processorfor receiving a lighting unit control input from a lighting controllerand generating corresponding lighting unit command outputs in a lightingsystem command format and a power distribution system interfaceconnected to a power distribution system for superimposing the lightingunit command outputs onto the power distribution system and a powersignal present thereon as a lighting command signal according to alighting unit command transmission mode.

The system further includes at least one lighting slave unit includingat least one LED lighting unit, a command receiving interface connectedfrom the power distribution system for receiving the lighting commandsignal, separating the lighting command signal from the power signal andgenerating corresponding slave control commands, a slave controlprocessor for converting the received slave control commands intolighting unit control commands, and a lighting unit interface forproviding the lighting unit control commands to the at least onelighting unit to control the at least one lighting unit.

In one embodiment of the present invention, each master controllerincludes: for each lighting controller, a corresponding lighting controlconversion circuit for converting control inputs from a correspondinglighting controller into corresponding command inputs to themicroprocessor.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a master controllerincludes: a lighting controller and a lighting control conversioncircuit for converting control inputs from the lighting controller intothe command inputs to the microprocessor.

In one aspect, at least one embodiment described herein provides apowerline communication control system for controlling a lightingfixture includes a master controller and at least one lighting fixturecontroller. The master controller includes a configurable interface, alighting control processor and a power distribution system interface.The configurable interface is suitable for interconnecting to at leastone of several different conventional dimmer controllers and thelighting control processor. The lighting control processor is adapted togenerate a lighting unit command output in a lighting unit systemcommand format in response to an indication of a user-adjusted settingof an interconnected one of the several different conventional dimmercontrollers received from the configurable interface. The powerdistribution system interface is in communication with the lightingcontrol processor and adapted for interconnection to a powerdistribution system. The power distribution system interface is adaptedto superimpose the lighting unit system command output onto the powerdistribution system when connected thereto. The at least one lightingfixture controller includes a command receiving interface, a slavecontrol processor and a lighting unit interface. The command receivinginterface is adapted for interconnection to the power distributionsystem and for separating the lighting unit system command output fromthe power distribution system when connected thereto. The slave controlprocessor is in communication with the command receiving interface andadapted to convert the received lighting unit system command output intoa corresponding lighting unit control command. The lighting unitinterface is configured for providing the lighting unit control commandto at least one lighting unit. The lighting unit interface is configuredto control the at least one lighting unit in response to theuser-adjusted setting of the interconnected one of the conventionaldimmers.

In another aspect, at least one embodiment described herein provides amaster controller for powerline communication including a configurableinterface suitable for interconnecting to one of several differentconventional dimmer controllers. The master controller includes alighting control processor and a power distribution system interface.The lighting control processor is in communication with the configurableinterface and adapted to generate a lighting unit command output in alighting unit system command format in response to an indication of auser-adjusted setting of an interconnected one of the several differentconventional dimmer controllers received from the configurableinterface. The power distribution system interface is in communicationwith the lighting control processor and adapted for interconnection to apower distribution system. The power distribution system interface isadapted to superimpose the lighting unit system command output onto thepower distribution system when connected thereto.

In yet another aspect, at least one embodiment described herein providesa process for controlling a lighting fixture, including determining auser-adjusted setting of one of a plurality of different conventionaldimmer controllers. The process also includes generating a lighting unitcommand output in a lighting unit system command format in response tothe determined user-adjusted setting of the conventional dimmercontrollers. The lighting unit command output is distributed through apower distribution system to at least one lighting fixture. The lightingunit command output is converted at the at least one lighting fixtureinto a corresponding lighting unit control command. At least onelighting unit is controlled in response to the user-adjusted setting ofthe interconnected one of the conventional dimmers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with referenceto the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an embodiment of a powerlinecommunication control system for LED lighting fixtures;

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of an embodiment of a mastercontroller of a powerline communication control system for LED lightingfixtures;

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of an embodiment of a slave LEDlighting fixture unit of a powerline communication control system forLED lighting fixtures;

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of an alternative embodiment of apowerline communication control system for LED lighting fixtures;

FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram of another embodiment of apowerline communication control system for controlling lightingfixtures; and

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of a process for controllinglighting fixtures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a block diagram of a powerline communicationcontrol system 10 for LED lighting fixtures is shown therein. Asillustrated, a powerline communication control system 10 of the presentinvention includes a conventional power distribution system 12, such asa 117 volt AC network, at least one master controller 14 and one or moreLED fixture slave units 16 (three of which are diagrammatically shown inFIG. 1 but it is to be appreciated that the amount of the slave units 16can vary depending upon the particular application). The control output14A, from each master controller 14, is connected via the powerdistribution system 12, so as supply a separate control input to atleast one, and more preferably a plurality, of the slave unit 16

Referring first to an exemplary master controller 14 is coupled to oneor more conventional dimmer controllers 18 (four of which arediagrammatically shown in FIG. 1 but it is to be appreciated that theamount of the dimmer controllers 18 can vary depending upon theparticular application). Each master controller 14 receives one or moredimmer control inputs 18A from one or more of the conventional dimmercontrollers 18. It is to be appreciated that the dimmer controller 18may include, for example, a Digital Multiplex (DMX) controller(s), a0-10V Dimmer(s), a TRIAC dimmer(s) or an Electronic Low Voltage (ELV)Dimmer(s) and the dimmer control inputs 18A are conventional, standardoutput control signals of the corresponding types of dimmer controllers18. More generally, any conventional electrical controller can beaccommodated by providing a suitable interface for obtaining acontroller setting. Other controllers include current loop controllersas commonly used in the industrial process control of instruments. Onesuch class of controllers is known as 4-20 mA controllers.

The master controller 14, upon receipt of the dimmer control inputs 18A,first converts the conventional, standard control input or inputs 18Afrom the one or more master controllers 18 into corresponding powerlinecontrol signals 14A. Next, the master controller 14 imposes thepowerline control signals 14A onto the wiring of the power distributionsystem 12, together with the conventional power signal 12P present onpower distribution system 12, and also transmits the powerline controlsignals 14A through the power distribution system 12 to each one of theslave units 16. In a presently preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, the powerline control signals 14A may be, for example, in theform of a frequency shift keyed signal (FSK), a differential frequencysignal (DFSK) or a differential phase shift keyed signal (DPSK). Thecommand code format of the powerline control signals 14A may, forexample, be that of a commercially available controller format or aversion thereof modified for the specific needs of a powerlinecommunication control system 10 or may be designed specific for thepowerline communication control system 10.

According to the present invention, the powerline control signal 14A maybe in the form of broadcast commands to all of the slave units 16connected with the power distribution system 12, so that all slave units16 are controlled concurrently and in parallel with one another.Alternately, the powerline control signals 14A may be specificallyaddressed to an individual slave unit 16, or to groups of the slaveunits 16, thereby allowing individualized control of one or more of theslave units 16 of the powerline communication control system 10.

Next referring to an exemplary slave unit 16, as illustrated in FIG. 1,the slave unit 16 includes one or more LED lighting units 16L (onlythree of which are diagrammatically shown in FIG. 1 but it is to beappreciated that the amount of the LED lighting units 16L can varydepending upon the particular application) and a communication and powersupply node 16A. As indicated, each communication and power supply node16A has a power and control input 16BA, 16BP which is connected with thepower distribution system 12 in order to receive both the powerlinecontrol signals 14A and the power signal 12P from the power distributionsystem 12. As indicated in FIG. 1, the communication and power supplynode 16A, of each slave unit 16, initially separates the receivedpowerline control signals 14A from the received power signal 12P, andthen generates a DC power output 16P from the power signal 12P, and thensupplies the generated DC power signal 16P to the lighting units 16L inorder to power the lighting units 16L as controlled by the mastercontroller 14. The communication and power supply node 16A, of eachslave unit 16, also decodes the received powerline control signals 14Aand, in turn, then generates corresponding lighting control commands 16Cand subsequently supplies the control commands 16C to the lighting units16L so as to control the operation of the lighting units 16L.

Referring next to FIGS. 2 and 3, more detailed block diagrams of boththe master controller 14 and the slave unit 16, according to the presentinvention, are respectively shown therein. As illustrated in FIG. 2,each master controller 14 includes one or more dimmer control conversioncircuits 14B for converting the control inputs 18A, from thecorresponding dimmer controllers 18, into the corresponding dimmercommand inputs 14C to a microprocessor 14D which, under control of atleast one program(s) residing in a resident memory (not shown forpurposes of clarity) to generate the corresponding powerline controlsignals 14A, which are then superimposed onto the wires of the powerdistribution system 12 and the power signal 12P present thereon by apowerline interface 14E for transmission of the slave units 16. Asindicated, each master controller 14 will also include other necessarycircuitry, such as a power supply 14F for receiving electrical powerfrom the power distribution system 12.

Referring to FIG. 3, the power and control input 16B of eachcommunication and power supply node 16A of each slave unit 16 includes acontrol input 16BA, connected to the power distribution system 12 and tothe input of a communication interface 16B which receives the powerlinecontrol signals 14A and the power signal 12P from the power distributionsystem 12, separates the powerline control signals 14A from the powersignal 12P, and provides corresponding control signals 14A to an inputof a slave control microprocessor 160. The slave control microprocessor160, operating under control of at least one program(s) residing in amemory (not shown for purposes of clarity), in turn, decodes controlsignals 14A and generates corresponding slave control signals 16E, whichare converted into corresponding analog or digital lighting controlcommands 16C, by a fixture interface 16F, and then communicated to eachone of the lighting units 16L.

A power input 16BP is likewise connected to the power distributionsystem 12 to receive the power signal 12 with the superimposed powerlinecontrol signals 14A and is connected to the input of a power supply 16Gwhich, in turn, generates DC power outputs 16P which are supplied to thecircuits of the communication and power supply node 16A and eventuallyto the lighting units 16L of the slave unit 16.

Referring next to FIG. 4, a block diagram of an alternate embodiment ofthe powerline communication control system 10, according to the presentinvention, is shown therein. This embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 4,is generally similar to the embodiments of a powerline communicationcontrol system 10 as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. However, accordingto this embodiment, the dimmer controllers 18 and the dimmer controlinputs 18A are replaced with a human interface controller 20 forgenerating human interface control inputs 20A. It is to be appreciatedthat the control inputs 20A may be generated under the control of, forexample, a knob, a slider, a keypad or some other conventional directhuman input control device, thereby allowing direct human control of theslave units 16 without the associated intervention and cost ofstandardized, conventional dimmer controls 18.

FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram of another embodiment of apowerline communication control system 100 for controlling lightingfixtures. The system 100 includes a master controller, or adapter 102,configured to interpret a response or input 103 received from aconventional controller 102 (also referred to as a legacy controller).At least one advantage of having an adapter 102 is an ability to obtainand otherwise interpret inputs from any class of dimmer controllers,such as those described above. The adapter 102 includes a configurableinterface 104 suitable for interconnecting to at least one of a varietyof different conventional dimmer controllers. The adapter 102 alsoincludes a lighting control processor 106 in communication with theconfigurable interface 104. The lighting control processor 106 isadapted to generate a lighting unit command output in a lighting unitsystem command format in response to an input received from theconventional controller 102. In particular, for user-adjustablecontrollers, such an input received from the controller 102 provides anindication of a user-adjusted setting of the controller 102.

In at least some embodiments, the adapter 102 also includes a powerdistribution system interface 108. The power distribution systeminterface 108 is in communication with the lighting control processor106 and adapted for interconnection to a power distribution system 110.The power distribution system interface 108 is adapted to superimposethe lighting unit system command output of the lighting controlprocessor 106, onto the power distribution system 110, to all fordissemination of the lighting unit system command to one or moreelectrical units to be controlled.

In at least some embodiments, the adapter 102 can be accommodated withina housing 112, such as an electrical housing or box 112 adapted toaccommodate a typical single or multi-gang electrical switch.Accordingly, in at least some embodiments, such an adapter 102 can beinstalled together with a conventional controller 102, within a commonmulti-gang standard electrical box 112. The box 112 can be fed by an ACpower feed or circuit 114, which can be split within the box 112 (e.g.,using wire connectors 116) to power the adapter 102 and to a second setof electrical conductors 110 providing AC facility power to theadjustable power to one or more controlled electrical devices. The powerdistribution system interface 108 can be configured to convey anindication of the control setting to the one or more controlledelectrical devices (e.g., lighting unit(s)) by any suitable powerlinecommunications (PLC) protocol, such as those described herein and theirequivalents.

In some embodiments, the configurable interface 104 reads an output ofthe conventional controller 102. Alternatively or in addition, theconfigurable interface 104 provides a stimulus 105 (shown in phantom)that produces a response 103 of the conventional controller 102,suitable for determining a user-adjusted setting of the controller 102.

In some embodiments, the configurable interface 104 includes the one ormore dimmer control conversion circuits 14B (FIG. 2). In suchembodiments, the lighting control processor 106 (e.g., themicroprocessor 14D of FIG. 2) is configured to monitor inputs from eachof the one or more dimmer control conversion circuits 14B. Thus, eachconversion circuit 14B can be in independently in communication with themicroprocessor 14D through a respective interface. The microprocessor14D can routinely monitor each of the respective inputs, for exampleaccording to a schedule, to detect changes. Upon detecting a change, themicroprocessor 14D can be configured to take a suitable action, such asgenerating the corresponding powerline control signals 14A.

In at least some embodiments, the powerline communication control system100 also includes at least one device controller 120. In the exampleembodiment, the controller can be referred to as a powerlinecommunication node and power supply 102. The device controller 120includes a power distribution system interface 108 adapted forinterconnection to the power distribution system 110. The devicecontroller 120, also referred to as a command receiving interface, isfurther adapted to separate the lighting unit system command output fromthe power distribution system 110 when connected thereto. For example,the device controller 120 includes a powerline communication modem 122receiving AC power including any superimposed lighting unit systemcommand outputs. The powerline communication modem 122 is adapted toseparate the received power and command signals into a separate AC powersignal and a separate lighting unit command signal.

For controlled devices that operate under electrical power that mightdiffer from the distributed (e.g., AC) power, the device controller 120includes one or more power conversion modules 124. Such a powerconversion module 124 can convert any suitable distributed power, suchas AC or DC power, to any other suitable power, such as DC or AC power.Such power conversion modules 124 are commonly referred to as one ormore of power supplies, power converters, and power inverters. In theillustrative example, the power supply 124 converts 110V AC to a DCpower (e.g., 12 volts) suitable for controlling a solid state lightingunit 130. It is understood that one or more such power conversionmodules 124 can be included and any given power conversion module 124can be configured to provide more than one output (e.g., +/−12V, 5V,3.3V). Such power outputs can be used to power one or more of the devicecontroller 120 and any device modules connected thereto.

In the illustrative example, the device controller 120 includes a slavecontrol processor 126 in communication with the command receivinginterface 122 and adapted to convert the received lighting unit systemcommand output into a corresponding lighting unit control command. Thelighting unit control command is forwarded to the solid state lightingunit 130. In the illustrative embodiment, the solid state lighting unit130 includes a lighting unit interface 132 adapted for interpreting thelighting unit control command and suitably driving the solid statelighting unit 130 in response to the user-adjusted setting of theinterconnected one of the conventional dimmers 102.

For example, the solid state lighting unit 130 includes one or more LEDmodules or circuit boards 134. Each circuit board 134 can be populatedwith one or more lighting elements, or lamps, such as LEDs. One or moreof the circuit board 134 and the individual LEDs, singly or in groups,can be independently addressable. For such embodiments, the lightingunit system command outputs can include messages having an addressportion and a command portion. The slave control processor 126interprets any received lighting unit system command output, forexample, identifying an addressee as well as the command itself. Theslave control processor 126 converts the received lighting unit systemcommand output into a corresponding lighting unit control command. Thecommand can include the address, which can be interpreted to one or moreinterconnected lighting units 130. Alternatively or in addition, theslave control processor 126 can be preconfigured with the addresses ofany interconnected lighting units 130, selectively forwarding suchmessages to addressed lighting units 130.

Continuing with the illustrative example, a lighting unit system commandoutput includes an address of the lighting unit 130 and a command to setthe lighting unit 130 at an illumination level corresponding to auser-adjusted setting of the controller 102. The slave control processor126 provides a suitable lighting unit control command instructing thelighting unit to illuminate at the user-desired setting. The lightingunit interface 132 receives the command and drives the LED board(s) 134with a corresponding current to produce the user-desired illumination.The lighting unit 130 can remain at the desired setting until asubsequent command or instruction is received to change the illuminationsetting, in which instance, the lighting unit 130 will respondaccordingly.

Although addresses are possible, it can also be possible to providecommands without an address or with a global address, in which instanceall interconnected lighting units 130 respond to the instruction. It isalso possible for more than one device controller 120 to independentlycontrol the same lighting unit 130. For example, the device controller120 can receive inputs from more than one power distribution circuit110, or a single power distribution circuit can be interconnected tomore than one device controller 120. For such configurations, the devicecontroller 120 can simply monitor received commands without regard totheir source. Thus, two separate controllers on a three-way controlledlighting unit 130 can independently control a setting of the lightingunit, for example, according to the last command received. In at leastsome embodiments, the device controller 120 is configured to sendcommands in response to a detected change in a user-adjusted setting ofan interconnected controller 102.

In some embodiments, the device controller 120 can be included withinthe lighting unit 130. Alternatively or in addition, one or more of thepower conversion module 124 and the slave control processor 126 can beincluded in the device controller 120, as illustrated, in the lightingunit 130, split between the device controller 120 and lighting unit 130,or even as separate modules.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of a process 200 forcontrolling lighting fixtures. The process 200 includes determining auser-adjusted setting of a conventional dimmer controller at 205. Alighting unit command output is generated at 210, responsive to thedetermined user-adjusted setting. The lighting unit command output isdistributed at 215, through power distribution system to at least onelighting fixture. The lighting unit command output is converted at 220,into corresponding lighting unit control command at lighting fixture.The lighting unit is controlled at 225, in response to user-adjustedsetting.

While FIGS. 1 and 2 generally show use of a hard wire connection forcoupling the standardized, conventional dimmer control 18 to the dimmercontrol conversion circuit 14B of the master controller 14 for supplyingan input thereto, it is to be appreciated that such input signals can besupplied from the dimmer control 18 to the respective dimmer controlconversion circuit 14B via either a conventional wireless connection orvia a conventional Ethernet connection. As such arrangements areconventional and well known in the art, a further detailed descriptionconcerning the same is not provided.

It will be recognized with regard to the above descriptions of possibleimplementations of the powerline communication control system, accordingto the present invention that certain changes may be made in the abovedescribed improved powerline communication control system, withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention herein involved.For example, while a presently preferred embodiment of the invention isdescribed and discussed in detail herein above, it must be recognizedthat different circumstances, other features or combinations of featuresdescribed herein above may comprise a preferred embodiment other thanthe exemplary presently preferred embodiment described herein above. Itis therefore intended that all of the subject matter of the abovedescription or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpretedmerely as examples illustrating the inventive concept herein and shallnot be construed as limiting the invention.

1-6. (canceled)
 7. A system for controlling a light emitting diode (LED)lighting unit via the LED lighting unit's power distribution system, thesystem comprising: a power distribution system for supplying operationalpower to the LED lighting unit; at least one conventional LED dimmer forsupplying a user-adjusted setting to the LED lighting unit; at least onemaster controller coupled to the power distribution system and the atleast one conventional LED dimmer, the master controller including: alighting control command processor configured to receive a lighting unitcontrol input from the at least one conventional LED dimmer andconfigured to generate corresponding lighting unit command outputs in alighting system command format in response to an indication of theuser-adjusted setting of the conventional LED dimmer; and a powerdistribution system interface configured to superimpose the lightingunit command outputs onto the power distribution system and a powersignal present thereon as a lighting command signal according to alighting unit command transmission mode, and at least one devicecontroller coupled to the at least one master controller, each devicecontroller including: a command receiving interface configured toreceive the lighting command signal, separate the lighting commandsignal from the power signal, and generate corresponding lightingcontrol commands, a lighting control processor configured to covert thereceived lighting control commands into lighting unit control commands;and a lighting unit interface configured to provide the lighting unitcontrol commands to the at least one lighting unit to control the atleast one lighting unit in response to the user-adjusted setting of theconventional LED dimmer; and at least one LED lighting unit coupled tothe at least one device controller.
 8. The system of claim 7, whereineach master controller further comprising: for each conventional dimmerlighting controller, a corresponding lighting control conversion circuitfor converting control inputs from a corresponding conventional dimmerlighting controller into corresponding command inputs to themicroprocessor.
 9. The system of claim 7, wherein the master controllerfurther comprising: a lighting controller, and a lighting controlconversion circuit for converting control inputs from the lightingcontroller into the command inputs to the microprocessor.
 10. The systemof claim 7, wherein the power distribution system is selected from thegroup consisting of an AC line; a 117 volt AC line; a 230 volt AC line;a 100 volt AC line; a 277 volt AC line; a 347 volt AC line; a DC line; a380 volt DC line; a 48 volt DC line; a 24 volt DC line; a 12 volt DCline; and combinations thereof.
 11. The system of claim 7, wherein aplurality of conventional dimmer controllers are coupled to a respectivemaster controller for supplying a respective conventional LED dimmercontrol input thereto.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at leastone conventional dimmer controller is selected from the group consistingof: digital multiplex (DMX) dimmer controllers; 0-10 volt dimmercontrollers; TRIAC dimmer controllers; electronic low voltage (ELV)dimmer controllers; and current loop controllers, such as 4-20 mAcontrol loop controllers.